Objet d’art: A First Look at Duro Olowu’s Pop-up

“I’m not a hoarder, but I do come across a lot of interesting things,” says London-based designer Duro Olowu with a smile. “I suppose you could call me a bit of a magpie.” Opening at Lower East Side gallery Salon 94 Freemans, his group show and pop-up shop is an assemblage of the eye-catching objets trouvés Olowu has spied on his travels: printed wallpaper custom-made in Nigeria; handwoven Maria Kipp fabrics found in London; a beautiful 1940s burlesque feathered headdress spotted at a flea market in Nice; a curvaceous stainless steel Maria Pergay lounge chair handpicked from a New York gallery. That’s not to mention all the fantastic artwork that has inspired the designer over the years, like **Katherine Bernhardt’**s enchanting rug paintings and Ghanian photographer **Philip Kwame Apagya’**s hyperreal studio portraits. Indeed, walking through the space is a bit like taking a dip into Olowu’s unending stream of creative consciousness.

“My work is kind of like a portrait, a very physical one,” says Olowu, adjusting the frame on a fashion image he created in collaboration with art star Juergen Teller. “It’s about using clothes to transform yourself.” Admittedly, the gorgeous paneled tailcoats and bias-cut printed dresses on display from his spring line are collector’s items in their own right. And besides those exquisite pieces, Olowu has created a limited-edition T-shirt in collaboration with New York designer Tory Burch for under $100, the proceeds of which will go the Tory Burch Foundation, an organization that provides economic opportunities to underprivilieged women, and the UNICEF Tap Project, a United Nations program that works to purify water in developing nations. “It’s funny, bringing all these diverse things together really gives you a sense of my process and how I see the world,” says Olowu, who plans to open a store in New York, where he shares an apartment with his wife, studio museum director Thelma Golden. “I just hope I’ve made it an inviting place to be.”Duro Olowu’s group show and pop-up shop will be open February 9 through March 4; Salon 94 Freemans, 1 Freeman Alley, New York; salon94.com